RAfiki detectors

[Allen Higginson]

Its not the first time I have read about heat testing then being tricky tho, but can't remember where I saw it. Can anyone with solo poles with heat comment if they have tested raffiki multipoints? Maybe something to do with the diameter of the detector, they are much larger than normal detectors. I have noticed solo do 2 sizes of cup, but I guess they are for mains interlinked heat and smoke detectors, maybe they need to be tested  with the larger cup??? They don't have openings on the top of the detector either, heat has to come horizontally through the side baffles. Probably not a problem if there is a fire in the room as when heat hits the ceiling it will disperse sideways,, may be a cup tester is a bit vertical. Maybe I'm thinking too much about it or talking rubbish!!!!

Either way, I know some installers love them due to quick and easy installation but I'm not convinced, The detectors seem to die at about 5-8 yrs and they are between £25-55 each depending on where you buy them, which never makes for a cheap service. I think they are a bit complex and suffer on reliability for it. I think conventional system is cheaper to run over the long term.

Speaking on a personal opinion capacity the Rafikki gear fills the electrical contractor market in that they are a good first install then run type of product.It's the maintenance guys after who get the headaches.

[JonnyG]

Its not the first time I have read about heat testing then being tricky tho, but can't remember where I saw it. Can anyone with solo poles with heat comment if they have tested raffiki multipoints? Maybe something to do with the diameter of the detector, they are much larger than normal detectors. I have noticed solo do 2 sizes of cup, but I guess they are for mains interlinked heat and smoke detectors, maybe they need to be tested  with the larger cup??? They don't have openings on the top of the detector either, heat has to come horizontally through the side baffles. Probably not a problem if there is a fire in the room as when heat hits the ceiling it will disperse sideways,, may be a cup tester is a bit vertical. Maybe I'm thinking too much about it or talking rubbish!!!!

Either way, I know some installers love them due to quick and easy installation but I'm not convinced, The detectors seem to die at about 5-8 yrs and they are between £25-55 each depending on where you buy them, which never makes for a cheap service. I think they are a bit complex and suffer on reliability for it. I think conventional system is cheaper to run over the long term.

Speaking on a personal opinion capacity the Rafikki gear fills the electrical contractor market in that they are a good first install then run type of product.It's the maintenance guys after who get the headaches.

I agree, here in Northern Ireland they are becoming more popular, I have definitely found that the reliability of the detectors is terrible. Would probably be fine for a bedsit type, student accommodation.

[Galeon]

Loved the two other products that this guy did first , the Roshni  and  Squashni sounders , did not rate this fire panel and devices in the same way.

[brownguyrav2007]

I find the rafiki twinflex systems better and more reliable. As someof the replies above Imight repeat some of them. I find it easy to test my detctors. The cheap and cheerful way is to stick the multipoint orange dust cover onto a broom stick or hoover pipe and when sprayed with detector tester hold the dust cover around the detector until it starts flashing and thn goes into alarm. Also dont bother replacing the bas and elctronics module. Just buy the whole multipoint and only put on the parts required and keep the rest as it ybe needed if one goes faulty

Just reply if you need any more help

[Davro]

Solo poles are o.k for smoke testing but in the standard heat guns just go for a hairdryer.
I find them quite unreliable and the panels o.k for install, rubbish on servicing. Just my way of thinking, i personally like the sms panels best, does anybody out there agree?

[John@EPL]

I have to agree, I find the panels a pain. I loose count the amount of times I pull the power rather than listening to the long piercing panel buzzer when you've pressed too many buttons too quickly. Sometimes you just can't seem to reset them.
Got called out on Saturday morning at 7am. Yup another rafiki. This one another detector fault going into fire.
Install under 5 yrs old. I did an inspection on it only a month or so ago.

I can see their popularity in installation , especially due to the price of cable these days.

[Graeme]

Solo poles are o.k for smoke testing but in the standard heat guns just go for a hairdryer.
I find them quite unreliable and the panels o.k for install, rubbish on servicing. Just my way of thinking, i personally like the sms panels best, does anybody out there agree?

hairdryer is another option if you can be bothered to carry an extension lead and ladders everywhere.

The solo cuts out at 90 so you dont damage the detector housing.

saying that though-how are you expected to test 100 HD and above without a heat gun and this could be a "naked flame" as per BS?

[Allen Higginson]

Solo poles are o.k for smoke testing but in the standard heat guns just go for a hairdryer.
I find them quite unreliable and the panels o.k for install, rubbish on servicing. Just my way of thinking, i personally like the sms panels best, does anybody out there agree?

hairdryer is another option if you can be bothered to carry an extension lead and ladders everywhere.

The solo cuts out at 90 so you dont damage the detector housing.

saying that though-how are you expected to test 100 HD and above without a heat gun and this could be a "naked flame" as per BS?

Battery one is ok for standard heats but,as Graham has said,useless on anything else (have a site with a shedload of Fenwall stats on it - thankfully I have the mains version which is superquick and doesn't cut out).

[brownguyrav2007]

What I do when I test these devices is get the head removal ool and attatch a hoover pipe or something similar onto the end of it and then spray the detector tester spray through the bottom of the tube and it goes off twice as fast because the little plastic tabs fit straight into the chamber and directs the spray into the optical chamber under the thin mesh.

[Allen Higginson]

What I do when I test these devices is get the head removal ool and attatch a hoover pipe or something similar onto the end of it and then spray the detector tester spray through the bottom of the tube and it goes off twice as fast because the little plastic tabs fit straight into the chamber and directs the spray into the optical chamber under the thin mesh.

Be careful with the residue out of the test gas - you can see it gathering under the proper tester which diffuses it before it gets to the detector.
Do you do fire alarm maintenance full time?

[John Dragon]

Solo poles are o.k for smoke testing but in the standard heat guns just go for a hairdryer.
I find them quite unreliable and the panels o.k for install, rubbish on servicing. Just my way of thinking, i personally like the sms panels best, does anybody out there agree?

No!
SMS (Gent xenex) are not the worst but can be unreliable. (They used to be very unreliable until a few years ago).
Kentec Sigma (we use the 2 wire version) are excellent tho not cheap.
For replacement panels we often use the CTEC MFP (note "MFP" for those who knock CTEC) this is one of the best panels ever, although now showing its age.

[fire_wale]

rafiki may be some old junk , other weise it is good

[Graeme]

What I do when I test these devices is get the head removal ool and attatch a hoover pipe or something similar onto the end of it and then spray the detector tester spray through the bottom of the tube and it goes off twice as fast because the little plastic tabs fit straight into the chamber and directs the spray into the optical chamber under the thin mesh.

oh dear!!!

[Benzerari]

What I do when I test these devices is get the head removal ool and attatch a hoover pipe or something similar onto the end of it and then spray the detector tester spray through the bottom of the tube and it goes off twice as fast because the little plastic tabs fit straight into the chamber and directs the spray into the optical chamber under the thin mesh.

You are testing a duct detector then!  

I think it is better to test detectors from any angle and in an open air environment ..., to make a normal world simulation...

[Thomas Brookes]

Just reading this thread made my go into a cold sweat!!!!!!!.

Testing with hover pipes hair dryers what next, lets get out the blow torch or maybe start a small fire in a bin!!.


If you ask any of the manufactures most if not all recomend using a system like the solo ones and most do not recomend spraying the black can stuff into the heads. Anyone who tests a lot with a defuser will tell you that you get a massive build up of a greasy substance in the defuser. Now if this grease was to build up in the head it would soon start malfunctioning.

As for testing with the  hover pipes and hair dryers, I will just say this if you contact the below four bodies and they say test with the hover poles and a hair dryer are the way to test smoke and heat detectors send me their written reports and I will eat my Solo test gear.

a) The manufactures of detectors (rafiki, apollo, Hochiki)
b) British Standards
c) The Health and Safety Exec
d) NIC EIC or ECA (electrical governing bodies)


Ps my opinion of Rafiki is very low, we will not stock it, Sparky's seem to love it as it has been marketed as a easy way for them to bang in a fire alarm and walk away.